Residents pay the price for Tory failure to properly fund Covid response

The council’s end of year budget for the 2020/21 financial year has just been published. The pandemic has contributed significantly, but not exclusively, to the council’s financial challenges. The outturn figures identify a massive £43m shortfall that the Government has failed to cover – despite telling local government that it would be fully funded to tackle the
cost of the pandemic.

In Croydon the council has worked hard for fifteen months to provide services that will protect residents and businesses from the impact of the pandemic. The council has spent almost £80m more than it had budgeted to do this. In return the Government reimbursed the council by only £33m – a huge £43m shortfall.

Cost of Covid: £76.6m
Govt Covid grants: £33.0m
Croydon short changed by: £46.6m

Croydon’s Conservatives have said and done nothing to try and stop this. In choosing not to stand up to their Government, Croydon Conservatives have shown they cannot be trusted to stand up for hardworking Croydon residents.